Calls for tighter petrol sniffing laws in WA

A substance abuse agency has put its case for tighter petrol sniffing laws to the Mental Health Minister, describing Western Australia's inhalant problem as a "can of worms".

A coronial inquest into six deaths in the Kimberley last year recommended laws in WA be brought into line with those in the Northern Territory, where police can confiscate inhalants from addicts and take them for medical checks.

Territory-based treatment group CAYLUS has travelled to Perth to convince the WA Minister Helen Morton of the need for change.

Coordinator Blair McFarland says they received an encouraging response.

"She [Minister Morton] was quite receptive to what we had to say and hearing about how the Northern Territory has pretty much fixed its petrol sniffing problem," he said.

"She was thinking about the implications for the legislation and where those people can be sent in Western Australia for treatment, which is not an insolvable problem.

"She also pointed out that she sees sniffers around urban centres as well, and there could be a sort of hidden group of other volatile inhalant users, like chromers -people who use spray paint and glue in the cities," he said.

"This legislation would provide some protection for sniffers in the cities as well.

"It's like a can of worms, Western Australia, and no-one knows how many worms there are in the can."